Can Anyone Beat Williams?: Women’s Soccer Weekend Preview 9/23

Editor’s Note: We’d like to welcome another new writer to the fold! Andrew Martin is a first year at Wesleyan, and he’ll be doing a lot of work with the newer sports for our coverage (Soccer and Hockey.) Andrew really like pina coladas and dancing in the rain.

One of the nation’s best women’s soccer conferences is back for its 2017 campaign. Perennial powerhouse Williams College is already off to a perfect season. Squads like Wesleyan and Colby look to bounce back after a tough stretch of league-play last year and uneven starts this season. And all this while Tufts, Bowdoin, and Conn seek to ascend from the middle of the pack to the upper-echelon of the conference. Forget all the speculation, anything can happen in the ‘Cac, and the season is already in full-swing. Let’s check out the games this weekend.

September 23, 2017:

Trinity (Conference: 0-3-0, Overall: 1-4-0) vs. Colby (Conference: 0-2-1, Overall: 2-2-1) (11:00 A.M., Waterville, ME)

Olivia Greif
Olivia Greif ’21 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics)

Both the Bantams and the Mules seek their first conference win in the 2017 season. Colby comes off a 3-0 defeat at the hands of conference-leader Williams. However, there is a bright spot for Colby in the form of Olivia Greif ‘21. Greif ranks third in the NESCAC in points, goals, and assists. With only one conference goal thus far, the Mules need to start generating some offense to have any shot at competing with the conference’s elite, and Greif is the biggest key to that struggle. Similarly, Trinity comes into play with zero conference goals. Keeper Julia Pitino ‘18 ranks fourth in the NESCAC in saves. Although it’s tough to categorize this game as a must win for both teams so early in the season, going winless into the third weekend is incredibly hard to come back from.

Hamilton (Conf: 1-2-1, Overall: 2-2-1) vs. Connecticut College (Conf: 2-0-1, League: 4-0-1) (11:30 A.M., New London, CT)

Michelle Medina
Michelle Medina ’18 (Courtesy of Connecticut College Ahtletics)

Hamilton comes into this weekend coasting off of a 1-0 win over the Bantams. The biggest reason for that win was keeper Emily Dumont ‘18, who ranks second in the NESCAC in saves. With three conference goals at this point in the season, it’s clear that the Continentals can generate offense, but to move into the top-three teams in the league, Dumont has to continue to be a rock in between the pipes. The Camels have nothing but confidence without a loss in the conference or overall play yet. Part of that reason is Michelle Medina ‘18, who leads the team with three of its five goals. Connecticut College could be the sleeper team to win the NESCAC this year, but before they think of Williams, they have to defeat Hamilton.

Amherst (Conf: 1-1-0, Overall 3-2-0) vs. Williams (Conf: 4-0-0, Overall: 5-0-0) (12:00, Williamstown, MA)

Olivia Barnhill
Olivia Barnhill ’19 (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)

When asking a Williams/Amherst player if they had a successful season, a single question determines 90% of the answer: did you beat Williams/Amherst. The upset loss to Trinity in the playoffs last year surprised us all, but the Ephs were ready to, as Big Sean put it, ‘bounce back’. Even though the loss of 2016 NESCAC POY Kristi Kirshe was a major blow to the Eph’s defense, Williams has already flown off to an incredible start. Led by 2016 2nd team all NESCAC keeper Olivia Barnhill ‘19, the Ephs strong defense acts as a complement to its dominant offense. Amherst, in contrast, hasn’t had such a stellar season so far. Sitting in the middle of the pack in the NESCAC, a win at Williams’ homecoming could provide enough momentum to push them up to the top of the league. If they pick up a win, but don’t win the ‘Cac, I’m sure they’ll still deem the season as a success.

Middlebury (Conf: 1-1-1, Overall: 3-1-1) vs. Bowdoin (Conf: 0-2-1, Overall: 1-2-1) (12:00 P.M., Brunswick, MA)

Eliza Van Voorhis
Eliza Van Voorhis ’21 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)

This game could be a season-changer for both the Panthers and Polar Bears. Ascending from the middle of the NESCAC is always tough, but a conference win (and a conference loss) is pivotal for both teams. Middlebury comes into play with as many goals for as goals against, an equilibrium that coincides with their win-loss record. Eliza Van Voorhis (‘21) leads the Panthers in goals, but there has been scoring contributions from the rest of a stellar first year class as well. Eliza Robinson ’18 and Leah Salzman ’18 have both contributed to Middlebury’s offense as well. Bowdoin is led by Nikki Wilson (‘18), who had two goals in their opener, but the whole team has struggled since then. They have no players in the top five of any offensive/defensive statistical categories in the NESCAC. Traveling from NESCAC’s mediocre to its elite is tough, but it starts with this game for both teams.

Bates (Conf: 1-0-0, Overall: 2-1-0) vs. Wesleyan (Conf: 0-1-1, Overall: 2-1-1)  (11:00 P.M., Middletown, CT)

Kinsey Yost
Kinsey Yost ’19 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

The Bobcats look to stay perfect in conference play when they travel to Middletown to play the  Cardinals. Wesleyan looks to snatch that first conference win of the season after a tough tie to Bowdoin last weekend. Led by star defender Kinsey Yost ‘19, the Cards only have two goals against in conference play, but need to generate some offense to be successful. Emily Ribatt ‘21 has been the energizer bunny for the team with her speed and ball skills, but the Cardinals need to start putting the balls in the back of the net in conference play. Bates, on the other hand, has only played one conference game– squeaking out a 1-0 against Hamilton two weeks ago. It’s tough to determine with Bates’ limited sample size how this game will play out, but expect a defensive game with a couple bounces determining the outcome.

Other Conference Games This Weekend (9/23):

September 24, 2017:

Bates vs. Williams (12:00 P.M., Williamstown, MA)

Connecticut College vs. Amherst (2:00 P.M., Amherst, MA)

2017 Standings (as of 9/19/2017):

Chasing the Ephs: 2017 Women’s Soccer Previews

Editor’s Note: We recognize that the season is well underway, so for those who haven’t been paying attention here are the current standings, updated for 9/11/17.

While I may have played varsity soccer in high school before my days on the Middlebury Baseball team, I only played for one season and was a keeper, so I’m just being honest when I say that I don’t have a great feel for the game. If I use the wrong jargon, terminology, vocabulary, or grammar don’t take it too seriously. I, however, do take improvement seriously, and will be in London, studying the EPL (English Premier League; See I’m not a complete idiot) and why Arsenal is doomed for a terrible season all of my fall semester just to prove my haters wrong. So look for these pieces to get increasingly accurate as the year goes on. Here goes:

Hannah Guzzi
Hannah Guzzi ’18 led the league in goals last season with 19. (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

Amherst (8-1-1, 17-3-1)

Senior forward Hannah Guzzi ‘18 leads Amherst following a NESCAC Championship and her Third Team NSCAA All-American honors. Last season the formerly Purple and White ended up losing in the NCAA round of 16, and star player Guzzi led the team and the conference in points (43) and goals (19). She found the back of the net in 14 of Amherst’s 21 contests and scored seven game-winning goals with five assists. She tallied goals in all three of Amherst’s NCAA Tournament games to finish 2016 as the program record holder for points and goals in a season. Also returning for the Mammoths are All-NESCAC honorees, attacking midfielder Delancey King ‘18 (First Team) and defensive midfielder Caleigh Plaut defense ’19 (Second Team).

Olivia Amdur
Olivia Amdur ’19 (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

Bates (1-8-1, 5-9-1)

The Bobcats were only able to muster two results in league play last year, missing the postseason despite ending the season on a 3-1-0 run. It was a lost season in terms of their points, however, they had bright spots with their younger stars developing on the pitch. They return center-mid Hannah Behringer ‘18 who was second on the team with four goals, tied with forwards Olivia Amdur ’19 and Riley Turcotte ‘20. Despite flaws in their attack, resulting in shutouts in nine of 16 matches, they have several pieces who can do damage to put Bates in a position to get points. Their most glaring need is a stronger back line and keeper as they allowed the most scores in the league (30). Keeper Sarah McCarthy ‘18 had a significantly down year, allowing nearly one goal more per game than in 2015, pushing me to think the defense was the main source of the problem. Five incoming first year players are slated to see time at either right, left, or center back and in the midfield, putting more depth in front of McCarthy than a season ago.  

Bowdoin (5-4-1, 9-6-1)

Bowdoin finished in a tie for fifth with Conn College and Tufts and played Middlebury in the first round of the playoffs, resulting in a quick exit. Despite beating Middlebury 1-0 earlier in the season, stud goalie Rachel Stout ’18 was unable to match her earlier shut out in the playoffs. Behind a stellar defense the Stout, the Polar Bears allowed the fewest goals in the league, although they did play less games than the NCAA tournament teams. For a more comparable stat, they allowed seven goals in league play, good for second place behind Williams’ three goals allowed. Morgen Gallagher ’20 was named to the Second-Team All-NESCAC as a forward and led the team in her first year with four goals. Nikki Wilson ‘18 was also named to the Second-Team All-NESCAC as a defender and is joined by seven other full time returning players. Only two consistent senior starters graduated, leaving few holes, and if Bowdoin can develop their offensive game, their defense should put them in great positions to end many games in a 1-0 advantage.

Samantha Rizzo
Samantha Rizzo ’19 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics)

Colby (1-9-0, 6-9-0)

Despite a tied for last place finish in NESCAC play with a 1-9-0 record, the Mules lost four games by a score of 1-0 in league matches and were a perfect 5-0 out of conference. While everybody knows the only real games are in conference as their out of conference games were against worse teams, their overall record was still not indicative of the way their season went. Forward Laura Arnold ’18 leads the returning players with three goals and 11 points from last season and Hannah Brozdowski ‘19 will likely be right behind her after starting at center-midfielder and tallying seven points. Samantha Rizzo ‘19 is one of the stronger keepers in the league after saving 98 shots on her own, good for second in the conference despite still allowing the fourth most goals. Their defense is an issue and Rizzo can’t stop every shot, and five or six defensive minded first year players should aid Colby in a resurgent 2017. They will have a good shot at making the playoffs, and while they won’t knock off any of the top teams, they might be able to muster some results and eventually compete in the postseason.

Connecticut College (5-4-1, 10-6-1)

The Camels who were ranked 22nd nationally in 2016 at one time, will rely on the foot of midfielder Caroline Kelleher ’18 for depth during the season while wingers Alex Baltazar ’19 (Second Team All-NESCAC) and Michelle Medina ’18 provided 12 of the team’s 22 assists and scored the most goals on the team to boot. Baltazar led the team with 10 goals while Kelleher and Medina each added three. Kelleher will look to transition into a more consistent role this year after scoring a hat trick against Hamilton, but not finding the back of the net in any other games. Conn College started off the NESCAC regular season with a 3-0 record last season but ultimately fell down the rankings to seventh place, despite making a nice run at the end of the year. They received an at large bid to the NCAA tournament and made it to the second round after a PK win against Scranton. The Camels have a solid attack and if others can join Baltazar as leaders on offense, they will be hard to stop.

Katie Kreider '18, Women's Soccer
NbN Alum Katie Kreider ’18 (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

Hamilton (2-7-1, 5-8-1)

The Continentals snuck into the NESCAC playoffs last year despite scoring the fewest goals (13) and points (35) in the league. They do return eight starters on the pitch, including several seniors and four year starters in Emily Dumont ‘18, Katie Kreider ‘18, Amanda Becker ‘18, and Katja Dunlap ‘18. Kate Whiston ‘18 is the returner with the most goals from a season ago at three, and will need to increase that for Hamilton to get more results in league play. They lack weapons offensively and will need to be more successful in their combinations to get better looks and more shots on target. They were not overly strong on defense either, but the glaring hole was in total goals, and as everybody knows, the best defense is a good offense.

Middlebury (7-3-0, 15-5-0)

Despite losing All-American Katherine Hobbs ‘17, the Panthers should still have a great shot at going deep into the NESCAC playoffs and get an NCAA tournament berth. Despite a loss in the conference semis to Amherst, they made it to the third round of the NCAA tournament, losing to Messiah who went on to beat Williams in the quarterfinals and lose in the finals. They return just six starters though, including their top two scorers the players with the three highest total point totals. Senior midfielder Emma Shumway ‘18 and attacking midfielder Amanda Dafonte ‘19 will need to bear the brunt of the scoring load as they had found the back of the net nine times between them. Keeper Ursula Alwang ‘20 came on strongly at the end of 2016, eventually taking over as the starter and tallying back to back clean sheets in the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament. Looking to step up as breakout players for Midd will be Virginia (Jinx) Charman ‘20 bringing depth to the midfield, shifting up front on the attack as well and Clare Robinson ‘19, a transfer from D1 Wofford who made her D3 debut in 2016. Robinson and her younger sister Eliza ‘21 have NESCAC glory in their family as their sister Hannah ‘16 won the NESCAC POY in 2015.

Julia Pitino
Julia Pitino ’18 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

Trinity (7-3-0, 11-5-4)

The Bantams return a solid corp from the team that shocked Williams in PK’s in the semi-finals last season. 2016 NESCAC First-Team honoree midfielder Taylor Kirchgessner ‘19 is a contender for POY as a junior. Sarah Connors ’18 provides stout senior leadership, but Trinity’s real strength lies in their keeper. Julia Pitino ‘18 was by all measure the best keeper in the league last year leading the league in total saves with 105 and save percentage at 87%. Between Conners and her, teams should have trouble scoring against Trinity. However, scoring goals themselves might be an issue. Kirchgessner is one of the biggest scoring threats in the league, but their second and fourth leading scorers (Laura Nee and Andi Nicholson,) both graduated, leaving a void in the Trinity offense. One potential solution is Tricia Pollack ‘20. With four goals as a first year, she could be poised for a breakout season.

Tufts (5-4-1, 7-6-3)

Tufts is looking to rise out of the middle of the pack this season. However, the loss of Robin Estus will not make that easy. A Second Team All League midfielder, Estus was adept at facilitating the Jumbo’s offense. WIthout her, Tufts will need some new faces to step up as offensive threats. One of those faces is Taylor Koscho ‘19. With one goal and four assists last year, she is a natural replacement for Estus’ production. Mariah Harvey-Brown ‘18 had four goals last season, and will likely be a major player in the offense this season as well. Defensively, Tufts could really use a star turn from keeper Emily Bowers ‘19. She was impressive as a sophomore last year with .98 goals against on average. However, with the losses on offense, Bowers could have far more save chances this year.

Wesleyan (0-7-3, 3-9-3)

I think it’s safe to say that last year didn’t go quite as the Cardinals hoped. They finished the year at 3-9-3 overall and 0-7-3 in the league, which was obviously the worst record in the league. Their problems were most apparent on offense. They only had three goals in league play. This put a lot of pressure on their defense, as opposing teams were constantly on the attack. And to make matters worse, they graduated their best goal scorer in Sarah Sylla ’17. It’s reasonable to expect Wesleyan’s offense to struggle again this year, therefore the defense will have to step up. The Cardinals alternated between two first year keepers in keeper Zoe Cassels-Brown ’20 and Claire Coyle ‘20, but it looks like Cassels-Brown will be the starter. 

Alison Lu
Alison Lu ’20 (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)

Williams (9-0-1, 18-1-1)

From the basement of the league we go to the ceiling. Williams dominated NESCAC in the regular season last year, finishing at 18-1. However, they have to be a little disappointed in how the playoffs turned out. They rolled to the semifinals as expected, and then lost in penalty kicks to fourth-seeded Trinity. Of course, they then advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, so perhaps they weren’t so disappointed. Anyways, Williams certainly lost some of the talent that made them such a dominant force. The two biggest losses from the offseason were undoubtedly Kristi Kirshe and Audrey Thomas. The two of them made up possibly the best forward duo in the country, as both were named All-Americans. However, the Ephs are more than able to weather those losses. Alison Lu ‘20 was the second leading goal scorer in the league as a first year, and enters this year as the rare sophomore POY candidate. Alongside her is Second Team forward Kristina Alvarado ‘18, and fellow first year phenom Kristi Kirshe, who had eight goals last season. They return Second Team goalkeeper Olivia Barnhill ‘19, and standout defenders Danielle Sim ‘18 and Evan Gancedo ’18. The Ephs are certainly the favorite to win the league this season, but as they saw last year, a lot can happen in the postseason.

 

Coming Down to the Wire: Women’s Soccer Weekly Recap 10/13-10/18

The Jumbos split on the weekend, putting them in 5th place leading into the final week of action (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics).
The Jumbos split on the weekend, putting them in 5th place leading into the final week of action (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics).

Hey everyone listenNo really please listen. NESCAC womens soccer was crazy this weekend, it really was and Im here to tell you all about it. So calm down, or get amped, Im a writer not a cop, and get ready to be spoon fed all the excitement that happened on the pitch this weekend.

 

Thursday, October 13th

Thomas College @ Bates, Final Score: 1-6 Bates

 

Saturday, October 15th

Bowdoin @ Hamilton, Final Score: 2-0 Bowdoin

Bowdoin controlled much of this Saturday afternoon matchup, besting the host Continentals by a score of 2-0. The first 20 minutes of play were relatively even until Bowdoin forward Emma Beane 20 stole the ball in Hamiltons half and beat keeper Emily Dumont 18.  Hamilton, perhaps sensing another loss on the horizon, played aggressively in the first half, attempting 12 shots, but couldnt find the back of the net. In the second half, Bowdoins Claire Dardinski 19 scored off a pass from Brigit Bergin after her initial attempt was saved.

 

Middlebury @ Trinity, Final Score: 2-1 Middlebury

In a battle between two teams vying to be included in the upper echelons of the conference, the visiting Middlebury Panthers defeated the Bantams of Trinity by a score of 2-1. Middlebury struck first in the game when Alissa “Good Will” Huntington 18 scored a header off a corner kick delivered by Amy Martin 17. Middlebury then extended their lead early in the second half when Adrianna Gildner 17 blasted a free kick passed Bantam goalkeeper Julia Pitino 18. Trinity scored their only goal of the afternoon a few minutes later when two great efforts by Trinity players Taylor Kirchgessner 19 and Nicole Stauffer 17 bounced off the crossbar. The ensuing scramble left Panther keeper Ursula Alwang 20 in a precarious position after a diving save attempt and Stauffer was able to finish her rebound. Alwang made a diving save later in the half to protect the Panther lead and earn them the victory.

 

Tufts @ Conn College, Final Score: 1-0 Tufts

A defensive battle saw the visiting Jumbos defeat the Camels by a score of 1-0. Conn has now lost 3 of their last 4 NESCAC games and seems to be struggling to score as 2 of those losses have been by a score of 1-0. Neither team found the back of the net for the first hour of play, but then, in the 63rd minute, Tufts midfielder Sarah Pykkonen 17 beat Conn keeper Bryanna Montalvo 18 to score the only goal of the game. Pykkonen was assisted on the play by Alessandra Sadler 19. Conn struggled to create scoring opportunities all game and was surely disappointed to lose such an important game at home.

 

Colby @ Amherst, Final score: 0-2 Amherst

Amherst, unlike Trinity and Conn, held serve in their Saturday game, defeating the visiting Colby Mules 2-0. After Saturday, Amherst had won 6 games in a row and had done so in dominant fashion. The win over Colby was no different. Hannah Guzzi 18 scored both goals for Amherst, one in each half. She scored her first goal at about the 20 minute mark, capitalizing on a possession where Amherst attempted shots on goal 3 times before finally slotting one into the back of the net. Guzzi’s other goal came in the second half, this time scoring off a cross from Maeve McNamara 19. Guzzi is now tied for the league lead in total goals scored with 10. Colby never really got going on offense in this game, only mustering 3 shots and struggling to retain possession.

 

Wesleyan @ Williams, Final score: 0-6 Williams

Not every game can be close. Or even kind of close. Or even sort of kind of close. Williams, ranked second nationally, absolutely dominated the visiting Cardinals to the tune of 6-0. The Ephs, after Saturdays win, set a new record for consecutive unbeaten matches with 21. The first goal of the game came less than two minutes into the match when Sarah Scire20 had probably the easiest goal of her life after a beautiful pass from Audrey Thomas 17. Next, Natasha Albaneze 18 scored for the Ephs before Thomas added her own goal in the 13th minute of play. Williams closed off their first half onslaught when Lauren Brown 19 rifled a shot past Wesleyan keeper Claire Coyle 20. Scire and Thomas both scored again in the second half to extend the lead to 6 and truly finish off the Cardinals. The Cardinals switched keepers at half, subbing out Coyle in favor of Zoe Cassels-Brown 20 in an attempt to stem the tide of Eph goals.

 

Sunday, October 17th

Tufts @ Trinity, Final score: 0-2 Trinity

Trinity rebounded from their tough loss to Middlebury to defeat the visiting Jumbos by a score of 2-0. Trinity was dominant defensively, controlling the pace and flow of the game for much of the afternoon. They were also ruthlessly efficient on the offensive end, scoring twice on only eight shots. The first goal of the game came in under 10 minutes when Sheena Landy 17 headed in a corner kick from Kendra Lena 17. Tricia Pollock extended Trinitys lead in the second half, beating Emily Bowers 19 and scoring a screamer from 18 yards out.

 

Amherst @ Conn College, Final score: 2-1 Amherst

Conn was unable to defend their home for the second time this weekend, falling to the visitors from Western Mass. Conn came out of the gate quickly, scoring less than a minute into the game. Lauren Steele 18 scored her third goal of the season off an expertly placed cross from Alex Baltazar 19. Sloan Askins 20 responded later in the first half on a long shot. Askins also recorded the game winner late in the second half when she finished a cross sent in by Rubii Tamen 19. Conns Baltazar had an excellent chance just before Askinsgoal, but her chip sailed just high of the cross bar.

 

Bowdoin @ Williams, Final score: 0-2 Williams

Williams put the capper on a perfect weekend by defeating the visiting Polar Bears 2-0. Audrey Thomas scored her third goal of the weekend early in the first half to help the Ephs jump out to a 1-0 lead. Thomas was released on a great pass from Sarah Scire20 who lofted the ball cleverly over the Bowdoin back line. Williamsadded to their tally in the second half when Kristina Alvarado 19 slammed in a shot off a pass from Kristi Kirshe 17. Coming off a win on Saturday, Bowdoin looked relatively outmatched by the team from Williams and struggled to generate good chances, only attempting 1 shot that tested the Williams keeper.

Wesleyan @ Middlebury, Final score: 0-1 Middlebury

Middlebury eked out a victory on Sunday, defeating the visiting Cardinals 1-0. Wesleyan put up a valiant effort, especially on defense, where they consistently bent, but refused to break. The match remained scoreless until the final two minutes of play when Middlebury was finally able to break through. In the 88th minute Amy Martin 17 beat her defender and slid a pass into the box to Emma Shumway 18 who tapped in an easy opportunity to give the panthers the boost they needed to secure victory. The game was certainly highlighted by excellent play in the back lines for the two teams, particularly at the keeper position. Kate Reinmuth 17 for Middlebury and Zoe Cassels-Brown 20 for Wesleyan made 10 combined saves throughout the game, several of which were way, way, way up there on the difficulty scale.

 

Hartwick @ Hamilton, Final score: 1-1 Tie

 

Player of the Week

Amy Martin '17 had a huge weekend for the Panthers (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics).
Amy Martin ’17 had a huge weekend for the Panthers (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics).

This was a tough week to decide my player of the week award. We had several players who surely deserved the award and I could make a case for giving it to any of them. But it’s not just goal scorers who deserve credit, so this week Im giving it to someone who scored 0 goals. Amy Martin 17 of Middlebury is this week’s player of the week. The senior from Sandy Hook, Connecticut had assists in both games and Middlebury won each game by only 1 goal so she certainly had a sizeable impact. The midfielder is now 7th in the NESCAC in assists in conference games and her passing touch has certainly helped Middlebury go on their recent tear.

Williams Remains Unbeaten, Still Drops to #2 Nationally: Women’s Soccer Week in Review 10/12

 

Williams won their two games this weekend, both of which were out of conference matches (Courtesy of Williams Athletics/Evan Gancedo).
Williams won their two games this weekend, both of which were out of conference matches, but fell behind William Smith in the national rankings (Courtesy of Williams Athletics/Evan Gancedo).

Hey everybody, sorry were a little late. You know how weeks go what with work and other work and sometimes work and rarely play. But without further adieu, heres the womens soccer recap of last week!

 

Tuesday, October 4th

St. Lawrence @ Middlebury, Final Score: 0-3 Middlebury

 

Wednesday, October 5th

Trinity @ Wesleyan, Final score: Trinity 4-0

The visiting Bantams emerged victorious in this interstate rivalry, besting Wesleyan 4-0. The Bantams scored four times in the first half, and four different Bantam players, Laura Nee 17,  Taylor Kirchgessner 19, Sheena Landy 17 and Andi Nicholson 17, found the back of the net. Wesleyan actually changed goalies going into the second half, subbing out Zoe Cassels-Brown 20 and replacing her with Claire Coyle 20 but the damage had already been done.

 

University of New England @ Colby, Final score: 1-2 Colby

Maine Farmington @ Bowdoin, Final score: 0-6 Bowdoin

 

Saturday, October 8th

Wesleyan @ Colby, Final score: 0-1 Colby

The host mules defeated the visiting Cardinals in a hard fought defensive battle 1-0. Wesleyan surely walked away from this game feeling that they should have one. They tested Colby keeper Samantha Rizzo 19 with 15 shots, but were never able to beat her or the hard-nosed Colby defense. Aliza Van Leesten 17 provided all the offense that Colby needed, slotting home a goal off a scrum ensuing from a corner kick. Newly starting Wesleyan keep Claire Coyle 20 was only tested 3 times, and did manage to make 2 saves, but sometimes the ball just doesnt bounce the way you want, which Wesleyan certainly learned on Saturday.

 

Conn College @ Bates, Final score: 1-0 Conn College

This game largely followed the formula we expected, with the 18th ranked Camels defeating the struggling Bobcats by a score of 1-0. The only goal of the game came with tenths of a second remaining in the first half when Emmy McGoldrick 19 scored off a deflection. Hannah Graves 17 was really the only Bobcat to test Conn goalie Bryanna Montalvo 17, but her shot was saved. Conn held a dominant advantage in shots taken, testing Bates 6 times to just 1 attempt on goal against the Camels.

 

Hamilton @ Amherst, Final score: 0-3 Amherst

Amherst thoroughly dominated the visiting Continentals, coasting away with an easy 3-0 win. The L*** J**** outshot Hamilton 20 to 6, and had a 9 to 1 advantage after the first period. In that first period Amherst found the back of the net two times. The first came less than three minutes into the game when Rubii Tamen 19 made an incredible run and beat Hamilton keeper Emily Dumont 19. Five minutes later, Dumont was again forced to collect the ball from the netting as Ashlyn Heller 17 scored after receiving a free kick from Megan Root 19. Emily Hester 17 capped off the days scoring, firing a looping shot over the heads of Hamilton after collecting the ball from a defensive mistake in the Continentals’ own half.

 

Trinity @ Bowdoin, Final score: 1-0 Trinity

The only goal of this contest came about 15 minutes into the game when Trinitys Tricia Pollock 20 blasted a shot from distance. Trinity then held tightly to that lead to escape with the 1-0 win. Bowdoin actually outshot the visiting Bantams 6 to 3 but failed to beat Julia Pitino 18 even one time. Bowdoin also forced 6 corner kicks, but they failed to capitalize on their numerous opportunities.

 

Tufts @ Middlebury, Final score: 2-3 Middlebury

The most exciting game from the weekend certainly happened in Middlebury, VT where the visiting Jumbos were defeated by the Panthers 3-2. Middlebury fell behind early when TuftsEmma Ranalli 19 scored a beautiful free kick and beat Panther keeper Kate Reinmuth 17.  Middlebury was shut out for the entirety of the first half but struck back early in the second half when Alex Barber 19 scored a shot from roughly 20 yards away off a pass from Sara Dicenso 19. Mariah Harvey-Brown 18 put the visitors back on top, heading in a goal in the 72nd minute, but the Panthers wasted little time responding to this goal, as Adrianna Gildner ‘17 soon tapped in an easy goal off a pass from Amanda Hotvedt 17. With the game knotted at 2-2, and time winding down, everyone expected to be heading into overtime, until Gildner scored her second goal of the afternoon off a rebound shot. Middlebury outshot the Jumbos 16-4 and surely deserved this hard fought victory.

 

Bard @ Williams, Final score: 0-5 Williams

 

Sunday, October 9

MIT @ Williams, Final score: 1-4

Bates @ Husson, Final score: 4-0 Bates

 

Monday, October 10

Brooklyn @ Conn College, Final score: 0-5 Conn College

 

Tuesday, October 11

Endicott @ Tufts, Final score: 0-4 Tufts

Keene State @ Amherst, Final score: 0-3 Amherst

Colby @ U. Maine Farmington, Final Score: 4-0 Colby

Sage @ Hamilton, Final score: 0-4 Hamilton

 

Player of the Week

Adrianna Gilder '17 came up clutch for the Panthers against Tufts this weekend (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics).
Adrianna Gildner ’17 came up clutch for the Panthers against Tufts this weekend (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics).

I swear Im not playing Middlebury for favorites, but we have to give this player of the week to Adrianna Gildner. The senior forward scored two goals in the last 15 minutes of Middleburys game against Tufts to secure a come from behind 3-2 victory. The two goals were her fifth and sixth of the season, tying her with Trinity’s Taylor Kirchgessner for fourth place on the list of NESCAC scoring leaders. Middlebury, and Gildner, seem to be hitting their stride just at the right moment in the season, and hope to keep this late season form going into the coming weeks.